The Saffron Gael

Had it not been for the Coronavirus epidemic the hurlers of Naomh Eanna would have been getting ready for the club’s first ever season in Division 1 of the All County Hurling League in a couple of weeks’ time. Last season the boys from Hightown won the Division 2 league title and the Intermediate Hurling Championship under the guidance of Terence Sambo McNaughton, and though the Cushendall and Antrim legend has moved on to take his home club Ruairi Og but the Glengormley men were still looking forward to the challenge.

Twenty-eight years ago St Enda’s won their first ever county hurling title when they beat All Saints Ballymena in the Junior Championship final at Casement Park. Two weeks earlier they had qualified for the decider when they beat St Paul’s by 2-7 to 0-3 in the South Antrim final.

Thanks to JJ Lawell I have received a report of the game and I have added my photos to reproduce a famous day in the club’s history.

Antrim Junior Hurling Championship final 1992

CONVINCING WIN GIVES ENDA’S TITLE

St Enda’s 3-12 All Saints Ballymena 0-5

**St Enda’s got off to a flyer with an early goal from Donal O’Connor**

Two goals in the first nine minutes helped St Enda’s take their first Junior Championship title as they raced to a sixteen point win over All Saints Ballymena at Casement Park.

Donal O’Connor opened the scoring for St Enda’s after six minutes with a fierce 20 yard drive to the net and three minutes later Sean Ward drove the ball past a helpless Sean Magee in the Ballymena nets to give them a six point lead. Despite being reduced to fourteen men after nine minutes the Glengormley men never looked like losing their control of the match and they went on to lead at the interval by eight points (2-4 to 0-2).

Early second half scores by Paddy Dornan, who covered acres of ground throughout the match, and Paul Steele, reinforced St Enda’s grip on the proceedings. The third goal after 48 minutes finally seemed to end the game as a contest after good work by David Maguire set up Ciaran Campbell for goal number three.

For Ballymena Stephen McAfee tried particularly hard with thee fine second half points and he received good support from Liam Maybin and Liam Donnelly, but they never looked likely winners.

When they did threaten they found St Enda’s keeper Brenan Prenter in superlative form as he dominated his area with a series of fine saves and catches. For St Enda’s David Maguire, Paddy Dornan, Ciaran Campbell and Joseph Ward made telling contributions as they guide the club to their first ever county hurling title.

Team captain David Maguire lifts the Cup after St Enda’s win.

Just a few weeks ago Antrim supporters were looking forward to a trip to Wicklow for a National Football league game. Not a fixture that would normally have seen the Saffron followers travel in great numbers to the Garden County but this one was different.

The long suffering Antrim supporters had seen their dreams of promotion from division 4 shattered a number of times in recent years but a superb win on day five of this year’s league campaign brought about a confidence that this year we would get the job done.

There have been many false dawns before of course but that victory over previously unbeaten Limerick at Portglenone and more importantly, the manner of the victory was the reason for the new feel good factor.

A win away to Wicklow would have seen Lenny Harbinson’s side with one foot in division 3 and with just one more game after that, at home to Waterford it was looking good for the Saffrons.

Covid-19 put Antrim’s promotion hopes on temporary hold and what will happen if or when the leagues resume is open to much speculation and at present we have much more urgent and compelling matters to think about as we deal with this terrible pandemic.

Harbison and Frank Fitzsimmons before him, have done a good job in difficult circumstances in rebuilding an Antrim side who have been starved of success since those heady days of 2009 and 2010 where Antrim reached an Ulster Championship final and gained promotion to division 2.

The Antrim team who began the 2010 NFL campaign with a win over |Sligo at Casement Park

Today we are going to look back at that memorable 2010 NFL campaign which saw ‘Baker’ Bradley’s side beat Sligo at Casement Park in their opening game and go on to top the division 3 table before losing to the Yates County in the league final at Croke Park.

Paddy Cunningham has been recalled to the Antrim panel this year as was Michael and Thomas McCann and all three were prominent in the 2010 campaign. Cunningham scored 1-5 in that opening game against Sligo on February 7^th while Michael McCann weighed in with three points as the Saffrons prevailed 1-12 to 0-14 winners against a very good Sligo team.

Kevin Niblock who was prominent in the Antrim division 3 campaign in 2010

Antrim Scorers v Sligo:

P Cunningham 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2f); M McCann 0-3 (1f); D O’Hagan, C Close, M Magill, G O’Boyle 0-1 each.

It was away to Breffni Park on day two and Antrim proved much too good for a Cavan side who had suffered defeat to them in the 2009 Ulster semi-final and this win proved even more emphatic than the championship win in Clones. Cunningham matched his 1-5 from day one with 0-8 while Thomas McCann impressed with 1-3 with his Cargin colleagues, Michael Magill 1-0, Michael McCann and Tony Scullion completing the scoring.

‘Baker’ Bradley who led Antrim to promotion in 2010

Antrim scorers v Cavan:

P Cunningham 0-8 (4f), T McCann 1-3, M Magill 1-0, M McCann, T Scullion 0-1 each

Antrim had certainly hit the ground running and when Fermanagh visited on March 6^th they had no answer to a slick moving Saffron side who continued to impress as they remained top of the division, Paddy Cunningham continued to find the target, both from play and frees and added 0-7 to bring his tally to 1-20 in three games with the Cargin contingent again to the fore and James Loughery and Conor Murray getting their name on the score-sheet.

James Loughery in action against Fermanagh

Antrim Scorers v Fermanagh:

P Cunningham 0-7 (0-4f), M Magill, T McCann 0-2 each, G O’Boyle, C Close, J Loughrey, K O’Boyle, C Murray 0-1 each

The Saffrons appeared to be facing their toughest test since round 1 when they made the long journey to Hyde Park to face Roscommon on day four of the league and so it proved to be but Baker’s men prevailed in a tight encounter running out 0-14 to 0-12 winners. Again the irrepressible Cunningham led the way with 0-9 as expectations of promotion to division 2 grew.

Michael McCann who had a great campaign in 2010 and is still doing the business for Antrim a decade later

Antrim Scorers v Roscommon:

P Cunningham 0-9 (0-5f), M McCann, K Close 0-2 each, M Magill, J Crozier, J Loughery 0-1 each

Those promotion hopes took their first setback when they hit the road again for another away fixture against Offaly and despite a Paddy Cunningham goal from the penalty spot it was the Leinster side who prevailed by the narrowest of margins, 1-8 to 1-7.

Antrim Scorers v Offaly:

P Cunningham 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), B Herron, C Close 0-1 each

It was back to Casement on day six with Antrim determined to get back to winning was following their setback against Offaly when the ‘Wee’ county visited. Louth had been going well in the league and a win in Belfast would have kept them very much in the promotion race but they came up against an Antrim side who’s pride had been wounded in Offaly.

Cunningham’s fine vein of scoring continued with another 1-6 and a goal from Justin Crozier propelled Antrim to a convincing 2-14 to 2-6 win over a Louth side who battled hard but were well beaten in the end.

Gerard O’Boyle of Cargin takes on the Louth defence

Antrim Scorers v Louth:

P Cunningham 1-6 (5f), M McCann 0-3, J Crozier 1-0, G O’Boyle, T McCann 0-2 each, K Niblock 0-1

Antrim’s final game in the 2010 saw them travel to Wexford with nothing less than a massive defeat guaranteeing them a place in the 2010 division 3 final. Despite a determined performance by a Ciaran Lyng led Wexford, the visitors kept in touch right to the final whistle before losing their second game of the campaign 1-11 to 0-12 but still topped the table on score difference to join Sligo in the league final.

Antrim Scorers v Wexford:

P Cunningham 0-4 (0-3f), M McCann, B Herron 0-2 each, T O’Neill, J Loughrey, G O’Boyle, T McCann 0-1 each

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts	Notes
Antrim	7	5	0	2	6–91	5–70	+24	10	Advanced to final and promoted to Division 2 for 2011
Sligo	7	5	0	2	6–95	7–78	+14	10
Wexford	7	5	0	2	8–73	4–76	+9	10
Louth	7	4	0	3	12–71	8–75	+8	8
Cavan	7	4	0	3	4–96	4–83	+13	8
Offaly	7	3	0	4	9–81	10–86	–8	6
Fermanagh	7	1	0	6	4–61	7–86	–34	2	Relegated to Division 4 for 2011
Roscommon	7	1	0	6	4–83	8–97	–26	2

Michael Herron in action against Sligo at Croke Park

The Antrim team who played Sligo in the 2010 league final

Sligo gained revenge for that opening day defeat in Belfast when they defeated Antrim in that 2010 league final in Croke Park but promotion to division 2 had been secured and the future of Antrim football looked bright.

Things have slipped since then with a lot of that very good Antrim side stepping away from duty and today the Saffrons play their football in division 4. Antrim have come close to a promotion place over the last number of years and hopefully when we get over the Coronavirus they can regain the momentum that was very much with them prior to the postponement of the leagues and gain that much needed promotion to division 3.